: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : I have no back-up for this, but my
opinion is this. The egg's irrelevant largely, because you can equally
have Marmite soldiers (it's a very popular UK savoury spread for
those who don't know). To turn bread or toast into soldiers, all
you need to do butter a slice of bread, then further cut it lengthways
5 or 6 times. The resultant row of strips could be said to look
like soldiers standing in rank on parade, all in line.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : In my youth, in the East End of London,
they were called 'fingers'. Is this still used anywhere?

: : : : : : : : : : : : When we were kids my mom would soft-boil
eggs, make light toast, and mix the whole mess up in a bowl with
salt & pepper. Good stuff and easy to eat, even when home sick from
school.

: : : : : : : : : : : It's nostalgia hour, clearly. I'd still happily
ask my daughter if she wanted her toast cut into fingers. I also
remember the above-described concoction from my childhood, which
was generally known in my family as "eggy in a mug", since it was
always served in a large coffee mug for reasons that are beyond
me - perhaps because it was indeed given to us when we were ill
in bed, and a mug with spoon is easier for a child to deal with
in that position.

: : : : : : : : : : : As to Marmite, the manufacturer's recent
TV campaign carries the strap line "You either love it or you hate
it", and this is undeniably true. It's impossible to be ambivalent
about Marmite. I've more than once convinced American friends to
track down a jar of this spread, on the basis of sheer bafflement
and curiosity I'm sure, and every time they've reported back to
me in terms of sheer horror that anyone could actually bring themselves
to eat this stuff, let alone relish it. So perhaps it is a thing
one needs to acquire a taste for in childhood.

: : : : : : : : : : What is Marmite made of?

: : : : : : : : : I'm answering my own question: A dark brown savory
spread made from yeast. Spread it on toast or in sandwiches. (BBC
America) That reminds of a Woody Allen line about "alfalfa sprouts
And mashed yeast."

: : : : : : : : Marmite sounds like the British version of the
Australian spread vegemite, in that it too is an acquired taste.
Are they by chance the same thing?

: : : : : : : I think they taste a bit like Guiness on toast. Actually,
I used to work in the old Marmite factory in Vauxhall. It smells
vaguely of Marmite to this day.

: : : : : : I always thought that they were called soldiers because
when you dip them in the soft boiled egg they look a bit like up
turned soldiers, i.e with the big hats. No? Maybe my overactive
imagination.

: : : : So, in return to my original question, does anyone know
why bread turns into soldiers when dipped in egg, or covered in
Marmite (incidentally, the worst substance known to man - I am a
Brit), vegemite or even Bovril if we're going that far..!

: : :
: : : So, does anyone know why, in return to my original question,
bread turns into soldiers when covered in egg, marmite (incidentally
the worst substance known to man - I'm a brit - you either love
it or you hate it), vegemite or even bovril if we're going that
far...!

: : Well, I'm still sticking with my original suggestion that,
when bread or toast is turned into soldiers (whatever the purpose),
a slice is buttered then cut lengthways 5 or 6 times. The resultant
row of strips could be said to look like soldiers standing in rank
on parade, all in line.

: Well probably not, but I would be fun...

Marmite, and all its yeasty relatives, should only be used to torture
people who have committed particularly horrible crimes.

Soldiers exist just as soon as the toasted bread is cut into strips
following which it can be used to dip into soft-boiled eggs or other
nutritious foods.